Nightstalkers
by Propapanda Ganda
Summary: A series of strange murders leads the team to suspect a circus they visited just weeks before. Reid and a fellow agent infiltrate the circus, believing that they're only looking for a few unsubs. Instead, they unknowingly stumble into a gathering of killers. Reid/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own anything CM related. **

**Chapter 1**

"Baby girl, who else are we waiting for?" Morgan asked while his arm rested around Garcia's shoulders. They stood in front of the entrance of an amusement park. The sun was slowly setting over the horizon, illuminating the sky with a dark orange hue.

"Emily, Reid, and my friend Jane." Garcia replied in a chipper voice. "I really think that Reid and Jane will get along."

Morgan chuckled. "My my, did you just set up Reid?"

"Yes, I did. Don't go telling him and ruining the future romance." Garcia playfully nudged him before waving to the approaching Reid.

"Hey guys, hope that I'm not late." Reid greeted. He took off the sunglasses he wore and tucked them into the collar of his buttoned-up shirt. "Still waiting for Emily?" He adjusted his purple scarf to prevent it from flapping helplessly in the brief breeze.

"There she is." Morgan replied, spotting Prentiss and a brunette stranger in the distance. The stranger appeared to be laughing at something Prentiss was saying.

"I have brought the tribute!" Prentiss announced once she arrived with the stranger in tow. The stranger brushed her hair out of her brown eyes and smiled at the group.

Garcia laughed in delight and looped her arm around the stranger's. "Everyone, this is Jane Foss, a fellow Avenger." She began to refer to each individual. "This is Derek Morgan, the chocolate thunder god I've always told you about." Morgan chuckled and shook hands with Jane. "This is our resident genius, Spencer Reid." Reid awkwardly waved and Jane returned the gesture. "You have already met Emily and myself. Now let's get tonight started!"

The group bought their tickets and proceeded through the entrance in little time. They stood around a map, debating on which ride they should begin their fabulous adventure with. They settled on a water log ride that promised to soak its participants thoroughly. They made their way over to the selected ride with Garcia and Morgan in the lead, followed by Prentiss, Jane, and Reid.

As Jane was about to enter the line, a child bumped into her. She dropped her phone and it skidded to a halt in front of Reid's shoes, momentarily blaring an instrumental song. The child apologized profusely before running off to join his mother and older brother. Jane turned to see Reid holding out her phone.

"Beethoven?" Reid inquired. He looked at her curiously. In his book, anyone that appreciated the German composer was definitely worth knowing.

Jane thanked him, grateful that her phone survived the tumble, and nodded. "Yeah, his music is relaxing."

"Come on, you two!" Prentiss called from the front of the line. Garcia and Morgan stood behind her, quietly taking amusement at how Reid was already curious of his new friend. Reid and Jane looked up from their conversation before hurrying to catch up with the rest of the group.

* * *

Morgan let out a whoop. "That ride was definitely wet! What ride should we go on next?" His t-shirt and cargo pants stuck to his well-built form, earning a wolf-whistle from Garcia.

"Maybe a rollercoaster to dry off." Prentiss suggested. She wrung out her soaked hair and casted a glance at the only two dry members of the group. "What I don't understand is..."

"How are you two so dry?" Garcia finished, looking at Jane and Reid questionably. Even her own curly ringlets hadn't survived the water ride's shower.

"Our feet are wet." Jane commented. The squishing wet sound protruding from her dark flats emphasized her point.

"We sat near the back so most of the water wasn't able to reach us." Reid added in a satisfied tone.

"I don't know how you two did it, but I agree with Prentiss. We gotta dry off." Morgan said. He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the nearest rollercoaster.

Reid hesitated, looking over his shoulder at a haunted house. "You guys go ahead. I want to check out the haunted house." He spoke up.

"I'll go with you." Jane piped, grateful for his decision. She wasn't too keen on anything that involved great heights, especially a rollercoaster.

Morgan looked at the two and grinned. "Alright. See you two back here after." He waved and started off in the direction of the rollercoaster with Prentiss and Garcia following. "Try not to make out too much!" His voice echoed back to Reid who promptly ignored it.

With a blush, Reid headed toward the haunted house. He hoped that the faint darkness of the evening masked his embarrassment. "Acrophobia?" Reid asked, turning to glance at Jane.

"Um, yeah." Jane answered sheepishly. They neared the end of the line for the haunted house. "How did you know?"

"Your voice hitched up an octave earlier." He paused before continuing, wondering if he should enlighten her on the treatments of the phobia. "Herbs such as lemon balm and lavender could help soothe nerves and maintain a positive outlook. Though the most effective and natural remedy is exposing yourself to heights. Some people might participate in exposure therapy with a dose of cortisol, a hormone released by the body in times of stress. However, that hasn't been proven to be effective one hundred percent."

Jane looked up at Reid and blinked. Garcia had told her beforehand that Reid was extremely intelligent, but she hadn't expect that type of response. "Thanks, Spencer." Jane said and smiled. "I'll try the herbs sometime." The two stepped across the threshold that separated the line and the decorated house. Fake headstones littered the lawn while dismembered skeletons protruded from the ground. "Do you like scary things?"

"Of course." Reid replied with a hint of glee in his voice. "Halloween is my favorite holiday." He ducked under a fake spider the dangled above the entrance of the door. Ominous music and creaks flowed throughout the hallway. The two continued their trek through the ghoulish house, slowing every once in a while as Reid admired the decorations.

Feeling a prickling sensation behind her neck, Jane wanted to reach out for Reid's arm. She heard heavy footsteps approaching them and was fearful of what was about to happen. She turned the corner and came face to face with a figure whose face was bashed in with bloody nails. She let out a scream and clutched Reid's arm, pulling him along. "Come on!" She shouted over the growing menacing music.

"It's not that bad," Reid called out. He watched Jane skitter her way between figures that popped out from hidden crevices through the rooms and hallways. He had to admit that it was comical to see another federal agent act that way.

"Yes it is!" Jane brushed aside bloody and worn pieces of cloth out of her sight of vision. She jumped as her fingers brushed against a scaly figure. She spotted the exit in the distance, but groaned when she discovered that a bloody clown stood in the middle of it.

"Is that Bozo?" She wasn't able to see Reid clearly in the dark, but she was sure that he was amused at her antics. He certainly sounded like it. She tiptoed around the unmoving clown and stepped closer to exit- also known as freedom. "Bye, Bozo!" She turned to see the clown waving at them.

Once outside, Jane took a breath of fresh air. She was glad that the horrifying detour was over, but still more relived at accompanying Reid instead of facing the wrath of the rollercoaster.

"Did he steal your heart?" A voice breathed down Jane's neck. She screeched and grasped Reid's arm, much like a child that needed their protective plush toy. She calmed once she saw that the inquirer was a man with purple hair, presumably a staff member. She shook her head and the man smiled before walking away.

Taking a look at Jane's fear-filled expression, Reid broke out into a grin and began to laugh. "I'm sorry for laughing, but you have to admit, that was pretty funny."

Jane lightly punched Reid in the arm and returned the playful banter. "Oh yeah? I'll laugh at you when you get scared then."

"Sweetie pie, what happened?" Garcia asked as she approached with the rest of the group. "We saw you clinging to Reid like a terrified koala."

"Nothing big, just had a mini-heart attack while genius over there laughed." Jane flashed Reid a thumbs-up when Garcia bombarded him with her purse.

"Emily, she's hitting me." Reid cried out in mock pain. Both Prentiss and Morgan looked at the scene with amusement.

"Well, I hope you learned your lesson, Reid." Prentiss began. "It's time for the circus show."

The group walked to a giant red and white tent located in the back of the amusement park. They selected a middle row of seats and sat down with armloads of popcorn and drinks. They chattered about how they all heard how amazing the featured circus was. Trapeze artists with lightening fast agility and wicked contortionists were to be expected. Their conversation came to an end as the lights dimmed and the stage below became engulfed by darkness.

A voice began to speak from within the shadows. "Welcome to Cirque de Lumière."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter. It's been a while since I posted up a fanfic. Please review and let me know about what you think of it so far. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own anything CM related. **

**Chapter 2**

The next morning Reid found himself at his desk in the bullpen mulling over his coffee. He watched the sugar dissolve, grating the spoon against the bottom of the cup to help with the process. He recalled the rest of yesterday evening, starting with the aftermath of the circus show.

Garcia and Morgan suggested getting late dinner, but Prentiss and Jane opted out. Prentiss had to go take care of Sergio while Jane claimed to need to attend to a Charlie. Reid vaguely wondered who Charlie was, but figured that he was probably a family member or significant other. Morgan and Garcia, of course, teased him about how his expression seemed to appear dejected after Jane departed.

It wasn't true. Liking Jane more than a friend, that is. To be honest, Reid thought it was difficult to imagine himself and Jane in a romantic relationship. He was curious about her, yes, but just as a friend. They hadn't exchanged contact information before she left, so he doubted that they would see each other again. Unless Garcia planned another outing, which he was almost sure that she would.

"Morning Pretty Boy," Morgan greeted with a cup of coffee in hand. "Still thinking about last night?" Despite the early hours of the morning, his voice held a playful tone to it.

"Morning, and no," Reid lied. He already felt his headache beginning to form. He wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Guys, we got a case and it's a bad one." JJ said, barely glancing at them as she brushed past in a rush to the conference room. Morgan and Reid headed into the conference room as the rest of the team trailed in.

"Where's Hotch?" Garcia asked from the front of the room. Their unit chief was rarely late to morning briefs.

"Sorry for being late," Hotch began as he stepped into the room. He adjusted his tie before sitting down. "Was discussing some matters with another unit chief. Let's begin the briefing." His professionalism silenced the team's chatter and redirected their focus to the case.

"My fine furry friends, you are all heading to the local Alexandria." Garcia pressed a button her remote, causing three pictures to appear on the screen behind her. One picture depicted a lively brunette with green eyes while the other two showed her pale carcass on a rocky bank of a river. "Her name is Victoria Smith, age thirty-five, discovered in Founders Park right next to the Potomac River two weeks ago. She's missing her heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, intestine, and thymus. There is an X branded on her left wrist. "

Garcia pressed a button again and similar images of a male with blond hair and blue eyes popped up. She continued, "This is her boyfriend, John McCarthy. Also thirty-five, missing the same organs, has the branded X on his left wrist, and discovered beside Victoria. Local PD suspects that they may have been used for organ trafficking. Both died from blood loss due to stabs to the vertebral, axillary, and brachial arteries."

Flipping through the pictures on his tablet, Rossi noted how the victims were still dressed in the clothes that they were abducted in. "Why didn't they call in the threat assessment unit?" he inquired.

"The following, sir, will explain that. This is where it gets weird." Garcia explained. More images arose on the screen. The images exhibited a bald woman strapped to a tree trunk about fifteen feet off the ground. She seemed to be restrained by ropes of human hair. A ID photo of her with blond hair and brown eyes appeared beside disturbing images. "Jillian Lee, age twenty-one, found in Monticello Park (also a dog park) a week ago. Her hair seemed to be shaved off after her disappearance. She died by strangulation."

She sighed before clicking the button again. This time it produced images of a black haired male sprawled against a tree. "This is her brother, Marcus Lee, age twenty-two. He was found under a tree a couple meters away. He died with a single shot to the head, execution style. His eyes were slashed as well. The X was found on both victims' left wrists."

Again, Garcia pressed the button and more images appeared. The images unleashed a gruesome scene- the corpse of a man that was mutilated beyond recognition. His face was caved in, head shaved, and thoracic cavity gouged out. The only things that remained were his clothed lower body and limbs. "Due to the extent of the damage, he's currently a John Doe. Found on a bench in Ben Brenman Park, yet another dog park. Coroner's office is still determining the cause of death and fingerprints are being run to identify him. The X was also located on his left wrist."

"The unsub definitely dislikes any sort personal relationship." Prentiss observed. "Maybe he can't gain or maintain one himself so that's why he sets off to destroy others'."

"He also probably has a dog, or had one when he was younger, especially if he used dog parks as his dumping site." JJ commented. She wondered why the appearance of the second murder seemed familiar.

"Leaving out his kills in plain sight, a classic narcissist." Rossi added. "His victims tend to be adults, youngest being twenty-one. He's steering away from children and teens for some reason."

"What does the X stand for? Why the change in MO?" Morgan pointed out. "Goes from possible organ trafficking to whatever the second one is to complete destruction of the body."

"That's it," Reid mused aloud, causing everyone to turn and look at him. "The second murder represents Rapunzel, a German fairy tale published by the Brothers Grimm. Marcus represents the prince of the tale. The prince gets blinded by the thorns below the tower, which in this case, explains why Marcus' eyes are slashed." He paused, fixated on the image of Jillian. "Unlike Rapunzel, she was bound to the tree, instead of released. The reenactment also missed a couple characters- the enchantress and Rapunzel's twin children."

JJ exchanged a look with Reid, understanding what he implied. "The enchantress was forever trapped in the tower while the twins lived happily with Rapunzel and the prince. But in this case, maybe not so happily."

"Are you saying that children did this?" Garcia gasped.

"We don't know that yet, baby girl." Morgan attempted to placate her. He gently patted her shoulder.

"It's a start," Hotch noted. "But if he's abducting them by pairs, there's a woman out there who might possibly still be alive." He eyed the latest victim before turning to the rest of the team. "JJ and Reid, head to the local PD. Morgan and Prentiss will visit each dump site. Rossi and I will go to the coroner's office. Garcia, pull up records of all of the victims and find out what they were up to before their abductions. Check for any crossovers."

He continued without a pause. "Because Alexandria is nearly an hour away, we'll operate from the local station. Wheels up in twenty."

* * *

"What do we have here?" Rossi asked, pulling back the sheets from the first set of victims. He, Hotch, and the coroner stood in a cold morgue surrounded by five corpses.

The coroner gestured to the complexion of the corpses before beginning his explanation. "They weren't in the water for long. Only about three hours before they were discovered."

"They were discovered at seven twenty in the morning." Hotch filled in. "How about the organ removals?"

"Whoever did this had the correct precision, but poor instruments." He pointed the edges of the gaping holes throughout the body. Some corners overlapped and appeared crude. "The instruments are too large and difficult to maneuver compared to scalpels. They probably used an ordinary kitchen knife. Same for the arteries."

"How much medical training would a person require to remove the organs and locate the arteries?"

"A medical student could probably locate the arteries, but only a trained surgeon has the skills to remove the organs that way." The coroner looked at his clipboard to look at his notes. "There were no sedatives or anesthesia found in their systems so they were most likely conscious when they bled out. The organ removal was immediately after death." He pointed to the ligature marks located at their wrists and legs. "Bound by ropes and no signs of assault."

"Perhaps a impotent sexual sadist," Rossi remarked. The trio moved to the second set of victims. "Any signs of assault here?"

The coroner shook his head. "None. The only physical damages were caused by the strangulation, bullet, and restraints. Strangulation was done with cloth this time while ropes were still used for restraint."

"He might have felt remorseful this time around." Hotch said.

"Or didn't want to get his hands dirty." Rossi finished, snorting at the irony of the statement.

The coroner let out a nervous laugh before continuing. He gestured to a mound of blond hair on a separate metal table. "Most of the hair was from a synthetic wig, but some of it was from the victim. They must have had a lot of extra cash to buy enough wigs to make it strong enough to hold up a body."

"So, an unsub that has time, money, and creativity..."

The coroner made his way over to the latest victim and cleared his throat before pulling the cover back. "The latest victim died instantaneously when his neck twisted. All mutilation was done postmortem. There were no signs of sexual assault. A blunt weapon, such as a bat, was applied to the face. The carving was also done with an average kitchen knife. Judging by the dental work, the victim was probably between late thirties and early forties." He pulled the cover over the victim. "All of the branding on the victims was done by crude pokers, much like the ones they use to brand animals."

Rossi surveyed the scene then nodded. "Thank you for your assistance." The coroner nodded to Rossi and Hotch before they left.

Once outside, Hotch turned to Rossi. "We need to interview the victims' families. There has to be more to the victimology besides the pairings. We need to find how the unsub came into contact with the victims."

* * *

"Hello, I'm Agent Jareau. We spoke on the phone." JJ greeted, shaking hands with the detective in charge of the case. She gestured to Reid. "This is Dr. Reid."

"Detective Davis," Davis replied. He extended to shake Reid's hand, but instead received an awkward wave from the young doctor. He shrugged the action off and dropped his hand. "I thought there was a larger team?" He mentally hoped that there was. He didn't understand how the timid beanstalk (Reid) was even in the bureau. Maybe he was a genius deep down or something.

"The rest of our team is at the crime scenes and coroner's office. May we set up in a conference room?"

"Yes, of course." Davis turned and led the way to a conference room. "Feel free to use any of the resources available." He went off to fetch the rest of the files and evidence related to the case.

"Spence, can you set up here? I need to go alert Davis on how to deal with the media." JJ notified Reid, and once she received a nod, left the room.

Reid unloaded a laptop and the victims' files onto the large wooden circular desk. Once he connected the laptop with the station's wifi, he diverted his attention to a whiteboard in front of him. He taped up each victim's photo ID and listed basic information below each picture. Beside the X's that were branded onto each victims' wrists, there seemed to be no correlation between each of the pairs. He tapped a few keys on the laptop, issuing a call to Garcia.

"Hey, my favorite boy genius." Garcia sang. "You're probably wondering about the victims' records. The problem is, in the days leading up to their abductions, they all carried on their daily routine like normal."

"Did they have anything in common?" Reid questioned, perplexed. "Did they lived, worked, or visited any common areas?"

"None, nothing, zip. The first set were tourists from San Francisco. They were both lawyers. The second pair were locals that held blue-collared jobs. John Doe, whose name was Jason Martin, visited for an interview as a high school teacher. None of their paths crossed each other." Garcia paused to take a breath.

"However, I was able to pinpoint who might know where Martin was before he was abducted. Martin's best friend, Zoe Wright, provided Martin with the interview. She worked at the high school as a secretary. A couple days after Martin missed the interview, she stopped coming to work. She phoned in stating that she had a family emergency to tend to."

"Garcia, can you call Wright and have her come down to the station if she's in town?" Reid didn't believe that Wright was in any immediate danger. It was equally probable that Martin was abducted simultaneously with a different female. He went to the white board and wrote down the new discovery under Martin's section.

"Of course, sugar plum. PG out!" With a click, Garcia ended the call.

"What did I miss?" JJ asked as she returned. Reid quickly recapped the discovery of Wright to her. "If Wright is the missing female, this would be the first time the unsub didn't abduct two victims at once."

"Which indicates that he might be stalking his victims..." Reid trailed off as he looked out at the station and spotted a familiar person. "I'll be right back." He stood up and scurried out, hoping to catch the person before she left the station.

"Sure, Spence." JJ answered with an eyebrow raised. She wondered what Reid was chasing after, but figured that he probably noticed the grand espresso machine in the corner.

Reid pondered why he was able to run into her here out of all places. "Jane," he called. Knowing that she was also a federal agent, the probability of spotting her while on the job was moderate. But the chances of seeing her so soon was extremely slim.

Jane turned around in surprise. She wasn't sure if Reid, or a figment of her imagination, was the one that called her until he caught up to her. "Oh, hey, Spencer," she said. She found it cute how Reid's style of clothing for work remained the same as when he was off duty.

"What are you doing here?" Reid noted how different her appearance was. The black slacks added a sense of professionalism.

"I passed by here for a case, so my supervisor wanted me to stop by to pick up a few things. How about you?" She shuffled a box labeled 'evidence' in her arms.

"Working a case as well." He placed his hands in his pockets, not sure if he should continue the conversation or let her go on her way. She patiently stood without an indication of rushed behavior so he went with the former. "Do you work at Quantico?" It was possible that he never saw her around the building before. A small percentage, but still possible.

"No, I work at the Richmond field office." Her verbal pace began to pick up due to some excitement. "I'm hoping to transfer soon though."

"Reid," Hotch's voice drifted from the entrance of the station as the door shut behind him. He and Rossi strode over to Reid and Jane. He nodded at Jane in acknowledgement. "Agent Foss."

For a second Reid mentally speculated about how Hotch knew Jane, but his thoughts were shoved aside by his migraines that returned at full force. "Um, Hotch," he interrupted. "Do you mind if I go grab some lunch with Jane?" His need to step out for a break grew.

"Just be back in an hour." Hotch replied before heading to the conference room with Rossi. Reid mumbled a thanks and hurried out of the station. Jane looked back at Hotch and Rossi questioningly before accompanying Reid.

From inside the conference room, JJ witnessed the entire scene. She regarded Reid's conversation with curiosity. He seem flustered when Hotch and Rossi returned and left in an hurried manner. The woman was definitely Reid's acquaintance. "Who was that?" JJ asked once Hotch and Rossi entered the room.

Hotch's answer was simple and to the point. "That was Agent Foss. Her transfer to Quantico was approved earlier this morning."

"She's going to be working with us?"

"Maybe. That hasn't been decided yet." Hotch sat down and read the notes on the white board.

Rossi chuckled from his seat across JJ. "Wonder how Reid is going to handle that ray of sunshine."

* * *

**A/N:** I realize that the first chapter didn't really give away much of the plot, so I made this chapter longer. I hope that Jane doesn't seem like a Mary Sue. Please review and leave feedback on what you think of the fanfic so far.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own anything CM related. **

**Chapter 3**

Stepping out of the SUV, Prentiss and Morgan surveyed their surroundings at Ben Brenman Park, the latest dumpsite. The dog park was similar to the other two. Not too crowded or empty with dog owners walking their pets. Plenty of trees providing shades and areas of rest.

"The bench is pretty far from the parking lot." Morgan noted once they reached the bench that seated the latest crime scene. Blood stains were the only remnants of the brutal crime.

"Either the unsub was very fit or he had a partner." Prentiss added. Her cell began to ring and she answered it with "Garcia, you're on speaker."

"We've got some news." Garcia began. "Hotch and Rossi interviewed the victims' family and friends and found out that in each pair, one victim was dog-sitting. The owners who they were dog-sitting for all lived near the dog parks."

"Did they find the dogs?"

"No. It seems that they disappeared as well."

"Garcia, what kinds of dogs were they?" Morgan interjected. Loud barks from three unattended dogs attracted his attention. Their leashes were collectively tied around a tree. None of them wore dog tags.

"A corgi, golden retriever, and husky."

The two agents exchanged a look before jogging over to the dogs. Morgan was able to placate the dogs, easing the barking. He petted the dogs while his eyes darted around, scanning for anyone that appeared suspicious.

"Well, we found the dogs." Prentiss said. "He might've been here just before us. Or he's watching us right now."

"Prentiss, look at this." Morgan called. He pointed to a set of footprints in the dirt behind the tree. He looked at it with a puzzled expression. The footsteps were large and elongated at the tip. "Are those clown shoes?"

Leaning down, Prentiss snapped a picture and sent it to Garcia. "Got it, Garcia?"

"Of course, pumpkin. I'll run a recognition search on it for deets. Oh, boss man also said that he'll meet you two back at the popo station. There's been another murder about half an hour ago." Garcia's voice dropped. "He went to the crime scene."

"Alright. Thanks." The call ended with a click.

"What do we do with the dogs?" Morgan asked. He untied the leashes and was surprised at the obedience of the dogs. They remained where they were without any urging. They were well-trained.

Prentiss looked at the dogs, petting the golden retriever. "I guess we take them back to the station as well. Not sure how we're going to get them into the SUV though."

"I got this. Clooney used to hate going in the car, but I got him used to it." Morgan grinned. "Be prepared to be amazed."

* * *

"Did you know McDonald's sells more than seventy-five hamburgers every second?" Reid asked while munching on a fry. "The only place that is more than one hundred miles from the chain restaurant is a barren plain in South Dakota."

"Good thing that we're not in South Dakota." Jane replied, chomping down on a burger. "Aren't you hungry?" She gestured to his tray that only contained medium-sized fries, an apple pie, and a drink.

Reid shrugged. He still felt indisposed due his headache, but he didn't want to reveal that fact. "I watched this documentary recently about how McDonalds is one of the leading causes to obesity in America. I didn't want to contribute to that factor."

"Did you just call me fat?" Jane smiled teasingly as bubblegum colored patches materialized on Reid's cheeks.

"N-no, of course not. You're fine." He stuttered. "I was just stating my reason. I wasn't implying anything." He blushed a deeper shade as he realized what he said. Not knowing what else to say, he took a nervous sip from his drink.

"I'm kidding." She stared at him while she ate the remainders of her fries. She found his awkwardness and embarrassment endearing.

Flush fading, Reid regained his composure. His cell phone began to ring. He answered it, thankful for the caller that saved him from further embarrassing himself. "Hotch."

"Another murder occurred about half an hour ago." Hotch's stern voice stated. "I need you to come down to the crime scene. The address is already sent to your phone."

Reid glanced at Jane, recalling how Hotch acknowledged her earlier. "What about Agent Foss?"

"Bring her here as well. Get here as soon as possible." Hotch ended the call without another word.

"What's up?" Jane inquired, eyebrow raised. She took the last sips of her drink. "Duty calls?"

"Apparently so. Hotch wants you to go with me to the latest crime scene." Reid loaded trash onto the trays.

Her expression became perplexed. "But I'm currently on a case." She picked up the trays and dumped its contents in a trash can.

He waited for her before exiting the restaurant, heading towards the car. "I'm sure he'll inform you of the details when we get there. I think it might have something to do with your job transfer."

"Huh... We might turn out to be co-workers."

* * *

"How did this happen?" Hotch demanded. He and Rossi stood in the kitchen of the only lead they had in the case.

The only lead, Zoe Wright, lied on the marble floor before the agents. Her limbs were sprawled haphazardly, resembling a doll that a child tossed aside. Located at where her heart normally would've been was a blotchy gaping hole. Almost peeking out of the hole was a clutter of muscle, tissue, and ribs. The heart was nowhere to be found.

"She was alive and breathing when Garcia phoned earlier." Rossi said. "The unsub must've been stalking her. Question is, did he intercept the call or was it just a coincidence?"

At that moment Reid and Jane crossed the threshold of the home and made their way into the kitchen. Reid stared at the corpse, his countenance scrunching up in pain and remorse.

"Did I cause this?" Reid whispered. The tone of his voice stressed as his headaches increased in volumes. "I should've had someone escort to her to the station. I didn't think she would be a target... I didn't think."

"None of us did." Rossi patted Reid on the shoulder. "We all assumed that he abducted another woman with Martin." He guided the younger agent to the living room, following a bloodied pair of elongated footsteps.

Hotch turned to Jane and nodded for her to follow him into the hallway. "I'm SSA Hotchner, unit chief of the BAU. I spoke to your supervisor this morning," he began. "Your relocation has been approved. You'll be working in Quantico. But since you're already here, your supervisor thought it would be best if you work on this case with us for experience."

"I'm not sure what to say," Jane stammered. "Thank you for the opportunity, sir. I won't let you down." Internally she wanted to hop around and pound her fist into the air with glee, but she knew that this wasn't the appropriate time.

Nodding once again, Hotch led the way to the living room. "This is SSA Rossi," he introduced. "Rossi, this is Agent Foss."

"Pleased to be working with you, sir." Jane shook Rossi's extended hand.

"And you already know Dr. Reid."

Upon hearing the discussion and the mention of his name, Reid looked up from the bookshelf he was examining. He cleared his throat, attempting to ease the embarrassing memory from before. "Yes, Garcia introduced us." He paused before gesturing to a lone bloodstained book on the shelf. "I think I found something."

The others huddled around him to see. Nailed to the bookshelf was a stainless note containing cut-out letters from various magazines that spelt out a message. The message read: 'I stole your heart'.

"It seems like a pun," Reid said. "Regarding the victim's stolen heart."

Remembering similar words repeated to her at the circus the night before, Jane gulped. "I'm not sure if it's a coincidence, but someone said this to me yesterday at the circus." She turned to Reid. "Remember that purple haired guy who showed up after we stepped out of the haunted house? He asked, 'Did he steal your heart?'"

Reid met her gaze with a look of bemusement. "I can't seem to remember his face. That's strange, especially with my eidetic memory. I can remember every detail of that moment except his face. It's as if it's blurred away by something."

"It's like that for me too."

"Now that you mention it, don't these footsteps look like they belong to clown shoes?" Rossi observed.

Reid spoke, "We need to go back to the station. We need to see if Prentiss, Morgan, or Garcia had their memories altered in any way."

* * *

"Talk dirty to me." Garcia sang over the speaker phone.

"Sure, but I don't know if you'll like it." Jane replied, earning a couple chuckles from the agents around her. The entire team, with the exception of Garcia, stood in the station's conference room.

"Jane! What are you doing here, darling?"

"Job transfer."

Garcia giggled. "You're going to be working with us? This is going to be so fun! I'm going to spoil you silly with cookies when you get back."

"Garcia," Hotch interjected.

"Sorry, sir, just got sidetracked." She cleared her throat. "What is it that my superheroes need?"

"This is kind of strange," Reid began. "But did your memories of the circus get altered? I think we may have all been subjected to rapid induction."

"Of course. The circus is known for hypnotizing their audiences at the end of each show." Garcia said as she pulled up the circus' website. She paused. "The recognition search came in. Footprints from both crime scenes are definitely from size ten clown shoes."

"So we have a killer clown going around?" Morgan asked, arms crossed.

"It's more than that." Reid added. "It would explain the change in M.O. If the unsub is from the circus then he might have partners. They could be taking turns killing."

"You and Jane might be targets." Prentiss commented. "We don't know if the unsub knew that Jane was a federal agent when he sought her out."

"Neither of us have dogs. It is highly unlikely that they knew. All prior victims were ordinary citizens. They wouldn't challenge a federal agent like that; it would compromise their plan."

Clearing his throat, Rossi spoke. "I'm sorry to say, but we need more evidence. We can't storm in based on shoe sizes and testimonies from agents that were hypnotized. Showing up could also frighten the unsub away."

"Jane and I could infiltrate the circus. If we were designated targets, they'd welcome us with open arms."

"Reid," Hotch reprimanded. "That's too dangerous."

"Um, guys," Garcia interrupted, nervousness evident in her voice. "The circus is holding auditions for a job position. They're looking for a magician and an assistant."

* * *

**I hope that the details of the murders/investigation aren't too boring. There should be more action and Reid teasing in the next chapter. Please review. **


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